In 2002, I conceived and curated an exhibition titled "Hats, Handbags and Gloves: from Past to Present" in Delray Beach presented by the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History. The concept was anthropological with the focus on the evolution of those accessories as influenced by women, technology and society. Within that display were six handbags loaned by designer Kate Spade. Sadly, the namesake fashion designer passed away June 5 due to an apparent suicide. The Kate Spade brand epitomized the happy-go-lucky yet sleek, preppy lifestyle. The exhibit featured the Kate Spade bag named "George," which she was commissioned to design for the White House Office of Protocol for First Lady Laura Bush. I believe it was the first time that the "George" bag had been displayed in a museum. The bag was like a fashionable tote made of thick canvas in White House blue color with white seams and it could be used by both men and women, which was the intent of the design.

This is what Kate Spade told me about the bag: "I wanted to create something that represented the White House, something sturdy and strong that wasn't too frilly…" The exhibit was hugely popular. It was truly an honor to display that Kate Spade bag in my educational exhibit.

I personally met Kate Spade when she visited the area and she had a happy, friendly and perky personality. The recent suicide is a complete contrast from the brand's image and the person I met. Born Katherine Noel Brosnahan, Kate Spade grew up in Kansas City, Mo. While attending Arizona State University, she met her future husband, Andy Spade. They completed college in 1986 then moved to New York and eventually married. She took a job at Mademoiselle magazine and rose to become the magazine's senior fashion editor/head of accessories. In that job, Kate Spade observed that the handbag industry "lacked stylish, practical handbags." In January of 1993, Kate Spade Handbags premiered. The couple launched the new handbag business together. Although not married at the time the handbag company started, they decided the brand name should be a merging of Kate's first name and Andy's last name, hence Kate Spade. When the bags came on the scene, they retailed for $150 to $450, which was considered affordable prices for bags at that time. In 1996, the Council of Fashion Designers of America honored Kate's classic designs by awarding her America's New Fashion Talent in the Accessories category. She was honored once again by the CFDA in 1998, as Best Accessory Designer of the Year. After the birth of the couple's daughter, they sold their company in 2006.

Celebrity and money does not immune a person from pain or mental illness as such is the case with Kate Spade. Mental health professionals have stated that it's not always easy to know the exact day a person may choose to take their life. A depressed mind is in an irrational state that cannot be shielded by fame or the love and adulation from other people. Nor is life an eternal state of happiness, but an experience filled with valleys and mountaintops. She left a fashion legacy with her brand that has made the world more colorful. My thoughts and prayers are with the Spade family.

Lori J. Durante is volunteer executive director of the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History and Taste History Culinary Tours in Delray Beach.